Hat-stretching machine



(No Model.)

' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. P.. BIGKEMBYBR.

' v HAT STRETGHING MACHINE. 41\I .256,: ,05. 1 Patented Apr.11,1882.

INVENTFH (No Model.) 5l Sheets-Sheet 2.

QR. EIC-KEMEYER. HAT STRETGHING MAGHINE.

No. 256,305. Patented Apr.11,1882.

N persas. Pkw-ummm. wmingum. ma

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 R. BIGKEMEYER. Y

HAT STRETGHING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 11

ATTEET.

5 Sheets--Shee'J 4.

(No Model.)

R. EIGKEMEYER.

HAT STRETGHING MACHINE.

FIG-n.4.

ATTEST:

1 INVENTCIH:

NA kneus. Pmbumgnpw, whingmn. D. c.

5 sheets-smet 5.

. Dm. E V.. E M H- K, .C

(No Model.)

HAT STRETGHING MACHINE.

No. 256.3%. Patented Apr. 11,1882.

HTI'

FIE. 7.

FIEJI.

, INVENTDR'- ATTEST:

@am @M23 UNITED STATES PATENTV OFFICE.

RUDOLF EIOKEMEYER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

HAT-STRETCHING MAcH|NE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,305, dated April11, 1882.

l Appliation filed January 30, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: n

Beit known that l, RUDOLF EreKEMEYER,

of Yonkers, 'in the county "of Westchester and,

State of New York, have invented certain new .and usefullinprovem'entsin HatStretchingMa chines; and I do hereby declare thatthe following specitication, taken in connection with bility of injuryto hatbodies duringthe stretching operation. The automatic operationreferred to involves in the stretching-machine the bringing ot' theupper and lower co-op-` erative stretching devices into workingrelations with eachother, their separation, and the stoppage of such' a"portion thereof as will prevent further action of the stretching de-Vvices on the same hat body in the absence ot' immediate care by theattendant, and enable the stretched hat-body to be removed and anothersubstituted.

These features are'also involved in an automatic tip-stretching machineheretofore devised by me, which constitutes the subject of anapplication for Letters Patent heretofore filed by me, and althoughhereinafter described and shown in the drawings annexed, they do not,when broadly considered constitute portions of my present invention, thesame having been made the.

subject ot' claims in said prior application. The automatic stretchingof brims also involves a rotation ot' the hat-body during the stretchingoperation, and although in my tipstretchingv machine referred to asimilar movement is provided for the means relied upon therein cannotbeemployed in brim-stretching, because the brim of a hat-body must befully exposed to the action ofthe stretching devices, whereas instretchingv tips the b'ritn may be clamped and the hat-body rotated onits former by rotating the clamping mechanism. In my present machine Iemploy a series of rapidly reciprocating or vibrating brim-stretchinglingers of the character shown and described in my prior Letters PatentNo. 175,953, dated April 11, 1876 ,l but I have now devised certainnovel features in connection therewith of special value in an automatic1naehine. I also 'employ in connection with said lingers a shell,

features deemed novel will be specified in detail in the several claimshereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, ot which there aretivesheets,Figurel,Sheetl,isasideelevationot' 'oneofmy machines withsome ofthe stretching devices detached, but with such ofthe latter asare shown in their working posit-ions. Fig. 2,

Sheet 2, is a vertical central section of the mat chine with a portionof the brim-stretching fingers removed and with such as' remain out ofworking relation with the former, which constitutes a stretching device,co-op'erating with the lingers. Fig. 3, Sheet 3, is inpart a verticalcentral section and partiallya front elevation with the stretchingdevices in working position as wshown in Fig. l.

Fig. 4, Sheet 4, is a view of the lower portion ot' the machine,partially in plan and partially in section, near the line x, Fig.r3.Figs. 5 and 6, Sheet 4, are detailed views of thecluteh mechanism whichconstitutes a part of the stopmotion. Fig. 8, Sheet 5, is an enlargedsectional view ot' the stretching devices in the positions respectivelyoccupied by them as-at the beginning of the stretching operation.

`Fig. 7, Sheet 5, is a similar view ofsaid devices as in position at theclose of the stretching operation. Figs. 9 and 10, Sheet 5, arehorizontal sectional views of one-half of the stretching devicesrespectively in position as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 11, Sheet, is atop view ofthe stretching devices in working posit-ion. e

The frame of the machine maybe variably los' constructed; but, as shown,it embodies two 'side plates, A, united by a horizontal lower plate, A,middle plate, A, and top plate, A3, and suitable bolts.

The driving-shaft B is located adjacent to the bottom plate, near thefront of the frame, and is provided with a balance-wheel and fast andloose pulleys, to be belted to and driven by some convenient shaft. Saidshaft also serves asa crank-shaft, its two cranks, a, being connected bydouble-red pitmen a' to verti` cally-reciprocating slide-rods a2,towhich, near their upper ends, is rigidly secured an annularmigrer-plate, C.

The brim stretching fingers D, usually twelve in number, are pivoted tothe under side of the finger-plate G, and their fulcra are on links bsuspended from a fnlcrum-plate, E.

As thus far described, it will be seen that with the rotation of themain shaft the working-faces c ofthe fingers will be angularlyreciprocated or vibrated toward and from a common center, substantiallyas in my aforesaid Letters Patent No.175,953. Instead, however, of saidfingers being maintained in one position during their vibration, asheretofore, their working-faces c are gradually changed from an angularposition, as seen in Fig. S, to the vertical position shown in Fig. 7,and back again, and this variation is accomplished by moving thefulcrum-plate E up and down. This feature of providing the series ot'stretching-fingers with variable fulcra is of value, even it' thefulcrum plate be moved up and down by a hand-lever readily appliedthereto, and it is of course of proportionally greater value if saidmovements are automatic, as in this machine, as hereinaiter described.

The driving-shaft B at one end has a small cone-pulley, d, which isbelted to a largerconepulley, d', loosely mounted upon a two-part camsl1aft,F F', whichisintermittingly rotated. ,by means of afriction-clutch controlled by a stop-motion, as hereinafter more fully7described. ()t' the fulcruni-plate it is now only vnecessary to statethat the shaft F has acam, G, Fig. 1, which vibrates a lever, e, onarock` shaft, e". This lever e is constructed in two parts, and to theupper end thereof a link, e',

is pivoted at one of its ends,whic'h is provided with a handle at itsopposite or front end, and with a clamping-screw, c2, which occupies aslot, c, in the upper or long arm ot' a bellcrank lever, e", the shortarm of which is connected with the fulcrum-plate E by a long verticalrod, c5. The axis of the bell-crank lever e4 is a bow-shaped rock-shaft,H, (hereinr after described in another eonnection,) on the opposite endof which is a lever or arm, e, connected by a long rod, e7, with theopposite side of the fulcrum-plate E, as clearly seen in Fig 3.

The fulcrum-plate is provided with tubular slide-bearings ea,surrounding sleeves depending from the top plate, A3, and within whichare the adjacent slide-rods a2, by which the fingers are reciprocated.It will be readily seen that with each rotation of the Cam G theiulcrum-plate will be raised and lowered, and that by adjusting thehand-link c in the slot e3 of the lever c4 the degree of lift may bevaried, and thus vary the stretching effect according to the generalcharacter of the hat bodies with reference to their strength.

It is to be understood that the variation in the working position of thefaces c of the stretching-lingers D is necessitated when such fingersare employed in connection with lower co-operating stretching devices,which are iucapable of expansive arrangement, and those now used by meare in thatrespectunlilre those shown in my aforesaid prior LettersPatent, wherein the lower stretching devices are variable in positionand the upper devices or reciprocating fingers non-variable-i. e.,theirworking-faces vibrate always in the same position.

The means suitable for moving the fulcrumplate, as is shown, may beexceedingly simple; but it is obvious that the same results maybeobtained if the fnlcrum-plate be stationary vand the finger-plate bevaried in its position on the slide-rods a2, while reci procatingtherewith. It will be therefore understood that I do not limit myself tomovable or variable fulcra or a movable fulcrnm-plate, except ashereinafter indicated, because it is immaterial, so far as relates tothe stretching operation, whether the fulcrum-plate be movable orstationary, so long as either said plate or the iinger-plate be movablewith reference to each IOC other during the operation of the stretching-IOS described in said prior patent this formeris mounted upon aspindle,j', but instead of bcin'g lifted to the vibratingstretching-fingers, as heretofore, by means of a treadle, it is liftedautomatically, and in that respect alone considered it is like themachine sllown in my prior Letters Patent No. 91,730, June 22,1869,wherein the stretcliing-iingers shown are not vibrated, but therein theformer is not of the character shown in my Letters Patent No. 175,953,nor is it controlled by a stopmotion, as in my present machine. Thisformerl has a supporting-shell, g, similar to a hat-block, although itperforms no blocking function, and in respect of its form and functionit is like that shown in said prior Letters Patent No. 175,953, and itisalso, like that one, capable of vertical adjustment 'on its spindlef, soas to provide for properly supporting hats with varied height of crownby means of the central vertical adjusting screw,g, above the top of thespindle f, and serving practically as a prolongation thereof, but unlikesaid prior shell this is capable of free rotation to facilitate theautomatic rotation of the hat-body during the stretching operation. Thisrotation of the shell without a corresponding rotation of the screw g iseffected as follows:

IIS

The entire former is supported upon a sleeved cross-head, h, secured tothe spindlef. A disk, g2, within the former has a tapped hub or neck,which loosely occupies the sleeve h' of the cross-head, and is occupiedby the screw g', and while said-disk g2 is rotative with the shell g, itrests upon the top of the sleeve of the cross-head, so that by turningthe screw g' the shell may be raised or lowered with relation to thedisk g2, the spindle, and the cross-head, and be capable of rotationwith the screw and disk upon the top of the cross-head sleeve.

, This former has a series of ribs, t', which are equal in number to thestretching-fingers, and alternate therewithin working position. Theseformer-ribs are in function unlike any heretofore known to me, in thatthey are notonly stretching devices co-operating with fingers, as in myprior patent, but they are also the media by which the hat-body isrotated autoniaticall y d uring thestretchin goperation. Said ribs areconical in forni, have serrated or barbed surfaces for well engagingwith a hat-body, but without injury thereto, are located around theshell g, radiate downward and outward or angularly therefrom, and eachis mounted on a spindle, i', having its bearings midway, and also at itslower end, in a metallic frame, t2, nonrotatively mounted upon thesleeve h' of the cross-head 7L, and it is therefore mounted on theformer-spindle f, so that it cannot rotate thereon. Each of therib-spindles t" has near its lower end a pinion, i3, land all of saidpinions mesh with a bevel-gear, i4, which has a hub below the shell,]'ournaled upon the sleeve h of the crosshead h, so that when saidbeveled gear is rotated all ofthe ribs are also ro! tated in onedirection. The large gear t4 has two sets of teeth, the upper setbeveled and the lowerA set straight, as is clearly shown in Figs. '1, 2,and 3.

I will first describe how the former is lifted Y to and lowered from thestretching-li n gers, and

then describe how the stretching-ribs ot' the former are rotated.

The cross-head h is of course rigidly secured to the former-spindlcj',and issupported upon a pair of vertical rods, 7c, which in turn aresupported upon a supplemental bow-shaped lever, l, Figs.'2, 3, and 4,which is pivotally mounted upon a two-armed lever, l', having itsfulcra.

on a rock-shaft, i2, to which, between said levers, is keyed an arm, i3,having at its outer end a balance-weight, lt. Between said levers l',and secured thereto, is a friction-wheel, Z5, which bears upon aformercam, G', on the'eam-shaft Vively co-operate with the fingersduring the variation in position of their faces, due to the variableposition of the fulcrum-plate, already described.. This progressiveupward movement lof the former is made to 'correspond eX- actly with themovement of the fulcrum-plate, as follows: As the bow-shaped rock-shaftH is turned withits how m downwardv during the lifting of thefulcrum-plate, said shaft, its bow operating like a crank, and being incontact with the rear end of the bow-shaped lever I, forces that enddownward, and thereby lifts said former while the fulcrum-plate isrising, as illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein the former has been lifted hyits cam G', and is heilig lifted still farther by the fulcrum-plate camG, acting through the lever e, link e', bell-crank lever e, and the partm of the bow-shaped portion ofthe rock-shaft H. The cam G therefore isnot only a fulcrum-plate lifter, but also a lifter of the former inexact harmony with the movement of the fulcrum-platc, thus causing theribs of the former to properly cc-operate with the lingers during thevariation in position-of their working-faces.

lt will now be clearly seen that the cam G' operates vquickly inraisingand lowering the former, but that after'tlie cam G' has ceased tolift the cam Gr slowly lifts the former to its full height.

The rotation of the ribs fi through their bevelgear i4 is effected hythe meshing with the straight teeth of gea-r t4 of a pinion. mountedupon the upper end of a square shaft, i5, Fig.

3, secured to and moving vertically with the frame fZand spindlef, andslidingin the square eye of a bevel-gear, t, Fig. 4, whichis rotativelymounted by means of a hub and collar, and driven by a bevel-gear, t', onone end of an inclined shaft, i, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, having at ,itsopposite end a bevel-gear, i, which meshes with a larger bevel-gear,il", on the camshaft F', adjacent to the inner side of cam G.

Although it is preferable that the ribs be automatically rotated, asdescribed, desirable results will accrue it' the same be rotated byhand, as with a crank. In order that the hatbody maybe continuouslyheldin goodvengaging contact with the rotating ribs, I have corn- IOSIIO

bined therewith smooth-faced compressingf springs p, between which andsaid ribsthe hat-body is compressed. These springsare vpreferablyconnected with the fulcrum-plate E'and pendent therefrom, as shown, sothat as the latter descends the springs also descend and serve to forcethe hat-body downward upon the ribs. These springs need not heem ployedwith all the ribs, but with every other one, as clearly indicatedin Fig.1l.

While it is obviously preferable that the springs be movable, asdescribed, for betterforcing the hat-body downward upon the ribs, thesprings may with good results be mounted upon an annular plate xed tothe frame of the ma chine and located in a plane slightly below 'thestretching-fingers, so that each spring will be extended upward andinward and have downwardly-curved ends, in which case said springs wouldoperate substantially as those shown it' the fulcrum-plate werestationary.

The vibration of the fingers is continuous, but the rotation of the ribst' is intermittent, they resting whenever the former rests at its lowestposition, due to the action of the stopmotion, to be described. Themovements of the fingers being very rapid, and the movements of thet'ulcrum-plate and the former being quite slow, necessitates a slowrotation of the part F ofthe camshaft, and as thisinvolves speedreducinggearing, I prefer to employ differential gearing, which I will nextdescribe. This cam-shaftis in two parts, with coincident axes, as seenin Fig. et. The part F has at its outer end the cone-pulleys d and atits inner end a fixed crank, da, which at one end has a free axialbearing in the center of the part F of the cam-shaft.

On the crank (Pis a pairof coupled gears, d3 d4, which respectivelyengage or mesh with a fixed internal gear, d5, and an internal gear, d6,which is secured to the shaft F', so that as shaft F is rotated with itscrank the gears d3 d* are rotated, and by the engagement of gear cl3with the fixed gear d, and of' gear d* with gear d@ the cam-shaftproper, F', is slowly rotated, as is common with differential gearing ofthe character described.

I will next describe the stop-motion herein illustrated, although inmany respects it is similar t0 thatemployed in my priorautomaticbrim-stretching machine, herein before referred to as constituting thesubject of' a prior application for Letters Patent. As in saidorganization, I now employ afriction clutch and a spring for securinggood contact of the cluteh-faces, and I also, as in said machine,control said clutch, so far as relates to disengaging it, by means ofthe former-spindle, which disconnects the cam-shaft from the rotatingloose conepulleys d just as the. former reaches its lowest position.

In Figs. 3, 4,5, and 6, Sheets 3 and 4, itwill be seen that the interiorof the cone-pulley d is tapered, to afford a good seat for the friction-A cone a, which is splined to shaft F and free to vmove longitudinallythereon.

This cone at its hub is pivotally connected by means of the usual sleeveto a vertical forked lever, n', having its fulcruui at its base upon afixed arm, a2, and at its upper end said lever n is pivoted to a rod, u,encompassed by an expansive spiral spring,n4,whichhasaslidingabutmentengaged byashipper-lever,o,havingahandle whichprojects at right angles to said rod and spring toward the front of' themachine, and has its fulcrum at o on the side of the frame thereof. Theaction of the spring c4, when compressed by moving the handle of thelever or shipper o toward the frame of the machine, causes the rotationof the camshaft; but when the outer end of said shipper-lever ispermitted to move in the opposite direction the clutch is disengaged.

Above and in close proximity' to thelever o,

near its outer end, is a crooked latch-lever, 02, overweighted at itsouter end, or provided with a spring which normally maintains its latchin the plane occupied by lever o, so that it will engage with andhold'said lever, and thusmaintain the spring n4 under compression formaintaining an operative union of the friction-cone and pulleys. Theinner end of' the latch-lever o2 extends foward and adjacent to theformer-spindlef, so that when a projecting arm, o3, which is secured tosaid spindle, (during and at the termination ot' its downward movement,)strikes the latch-lever at its inner end it elevates the outer endthereof, releases the shipper-lever, and disconnects the rockshaft,whereupon the former and its spindle remain stationary until the handleof the shipper-lever is moved by hand toward the side of the machine,whereupon the spindle rises and the latch-lever re-cngages with theshipper until it is again automatically released. The stopmotionmechanism is well shown in Figs. 3 and 4. n

Referring to the brim-stretching fingers with respect to their capacityto vary the working position or angle of' their faces, it is to beunderstood that a similar effect is produced by the expansion of' theribs, (shown in my Letters Patent No.175,953,) and should obviouslypracticable mechanism be employed with such prior ribs for automaticallyexpanding them during the stretching operation, and for auto maticallymoving that former to and from the reciprocating or vibrating tin gersit would constitute an embodiment of certain features of my presentinvention, although I prefer the organization herein described, becauseof' the facility with which comparatively simple mechanism may b'eemployed therewith for auto IOO IOS

matically rotating the hat, and also because it requires lesscomplicated mechanism for varying the position of the working-faces ot'the stretching-fingers. This feature of the combination of upper andlower automatically-operated stretching devices with suitable means forautomatically varying the positions of the surfaces in contact with thehat-body as the stretching operation progresses is capable of' varieddevelopment, as will be' readily suggested to persons skilled in theart, and I do not therefore limit this feature of my invention tobrim-stretchin g fingers havin g variablypositioned workin g-faces.

In order that the hat-body may be readily freed from the engagingcontact of the springs p and the stretchingfingers, when the formerdescends after the stretching operation, I provide the suspendedstripping-weight q, which is similar to that shown in my prior LettersPatent No. 175,953, but differs therefrom in that it is so mounted on apendent spindle that it may rotate freely with the hat and the former.

The operation of aV machine organized as shown would be substantially asfollows: The main shaft of the machine would be in motion at the ratefrom two hundred and fifty to three IIO escasos Y 5,

hundred revolutions per minute, the'brimstretching ngers rapidlyvibrating, the ful- Crum-plate atitslowest position, and the form eralso at its lowest position and at rest,`substantially as indicated inFig. 2. A hat-body with a previously-stretched tip is placed upon theformer, and'then the hand shipping-lever o is `moved bythe operatortoward the frame of the machine, whereupon theforlner'commences to risepromptly and enables the latch-lever n2 to engage with and to hold theshipper-lever in that position, the ribs of' the former meantimerotating. After thus startingthe machine the operator may leave itandplace a hat-body on a similar'machine, or on another of a series ofmachines, for progressively operating upon hatbodies. When the formerwith the hatbody is placed in working relations with theVstretching-f1'ngers, the hat-body rotating all the while, it is thenmore slowly moved upward, while the fulcrum-plate descends, varying theposition ot' the working-faces of the fingers from the angular positionindicated in Figs. 7 and9 to a practically-vertical position indicatediu Figs. 8 and I0, wherein the hatbodyris shown with its brim properlystretched. rlhe springsp during the stretching operation force thehat-body downward upon the ribs, and the rotation ot' the ribs serves todraw or pull the brim in circular or circumferential lines against thedrag or friction of the fingers wwhile in contact with the hat-body, andthis stretching operation bythe rotation of the ribs is an entirely newfeature in hat-stretching machines. The ribs and fingers operate on thecorrugation principle, the rotating ribs by a pullingstretchin circularlines, and the springs with the rotating ribs serve to stretch thehatbody in longitudinal lines parallel, or nearly so, with the axis of'the hat-body, and therefore all of these devices co-operate to rapidlyand eft'ectually stretch the brims, and with a minimum of liability ofinjury to the hat-body. After the stretching operation has been fullyaccomplished the former is automatically lowered and the stop-motionoperates, leavingthe former in its lowest position, and at rest for theconvenient removal of the stretched hatbody and the reception ofanother.

While I prefer for the best results that all of the several features ofmy invention be organized in one machine, it is obvious that separateportions thereof may be profita-bly employed otherwise than ashereinbefore spev cially indicated, and I do not therefore deem Aitnecessary to point out how all of my said improvements may be separatelyorganized with stretching-machinesas heretofore constructed. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent-- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbeforedescribed, ot' a series ot' automatically reciprocated or vibratingbrim-stretchin g tingers and fulcrum and finger plates, either ot' which=is movable toward the other while the fingers are in motion,for varyingthe position ot' the workin g-faces of the n gers, as set forth.

matically varying the 'position of the fulcrumv plate while the fingersare in motion, as set forth.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of thereciprocating or vibrating bri m-stretchin g fingers and the movablefulcrum-plate with the cam for moving said plate, and adjustableconnections between said cam and plate for varying the posit-ion of saidplate, and thereby varying the positions of' the working-faces of thefingers, as set forth.

6. The combination, in a brim stretching former, of ribs and arotativesupporting-shell, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with brim -stretching ribs, ot' avertically-adjustable rotative shell, substantially as described.

S. In a brim-stretching former, axially-rotative ribs, substantially asdescribed.

9. Ilre combination, substantially as hereinbefore described,of theaxial] y-rotating formerribs and the mechanism by'which said ribs are ,Yrotated.

l0. The combination, with a series of' rotating stretching-ribs andtheir-rotating mechanism, of. a stop-motion whereby the rotation ot'said ribs is controlled, substantially as described.

l1. The combination, with the rotating ribs, of compressing-springs,substantially as described, for forcing the hat-body into good contactwith said ribs.

l2. The combination, with the rotating ribs, of the movablecompressing-springs, substantially as described, whereby a hat-body isnot forced downward thereon.

13. In a brim-stretching machine, the combination, substantially' asherenbefore described, of reciprocatingor vibrating stretching-fin gersand ribs co-operating therewith as stretching devices, and mechanismf'or automatically varying the working positions of the surfaces of thestretching devices during the stretching operation, as set forth.

14. Thecombination,substantiallyashereinbet'ore described, ofautomatically reciprocated or vibrated brim-stretching tin gers and aformer cooperating therewith, which is automatically placed into and outo f working relations with the fingers, as set forth.

15.- Thecombination,substantially ashereiubefore described, otlthereciprocating or vibrating brim stretching iin gers and a formerwhich is automatically lifted into Working relations with said fingers,then gradually lifted during roo IOS

lIO

only held in good contact with the ribs, but

the stretching operation, and then lowered from said fingers, as setforth.

16. Thecornbination,substantiallyashereinbefore described, of thereciprocating or vibrating brim stretching fingers, the former, saidfingers and former being automatically placed into and out of Workingrelations, and astopmotion for maintaining them in a separatedcondition, as set forth.

17. Thecombination,substantiallyashereinbefore described, of thereciprocating or vibrating brim-stretching fingers, the formerautomatically lifted to and lowered from said tingers, and a stopmotion, which causes said former to rest at its lowestposition, as setforth.

18. Thecombination,substantiallyashereinbefore described, of reciprocatin g or vibrating brimstretehing fingers, a former, and means forrotating a hat-body on the former during R. EICKEMEYER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE NARR, A. C. Mo'rr.

